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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. board — a committee
  4. spell — letters
  5. last — finally
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. board — to get on
  8. ball — a dance
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. spell — magic
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spell — a short time
  18. last — final
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. squash — the sport
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. last — to go on
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com